A large number of human experts had stayed near the third layer’s entrance. They could enter, but they had instead decided to stay and wait for victims. Their so-called victims were the devils coming up from the third layer. By killing these devils, they could similarly accumulate a large number of contribution points.
Of course, they could kill the devils, but the devils could also kill them. This was the cruelty of a battlefield. When two opposing parties met, one would perish. In fact, the humans were also attacking each other.
After all, there were many valuable treasures to be found in the Devil Domain. Any treasure one obtained would grant one considerable wealth. Thus, it wasn’t surprising that the humans would also rob each other.
At this time, Xia Liuhui and Liang Zhuangmin were being robbed. Prior to this, Xia Liuhui, Liang Zhuangmin, Wu Zhijun, and a woman called Min Rourou had entered the Devil Domain together.
Min Rourou was a Sacred Deer Academy disciple. She had a gentle and pleasant appearance as beautiful as her name, a woman Xia Liuhui had fallen in love with at first sight.
She was the granddaughter of a Sacred Deer Academy elder and had always kept to herself. One time, Xia Liuhui had met her by coincidence and found himself completely smitten.
He then tried everything he could to approach her. He even shamelessly became her grandfather’s disciple just so he could get close to her. If Duo Ji discovered his disciple’s shameless deeds, he would probably have a stroke due to sheer anger.
Fortunately, Xia Liuhui’s decision had proven to work. After he received a new master, he was able to spend more time with Min Rourou. Eventually, she also developed some feelings for him.
As for Liang Zhuangmin, out of his affection for Wu Zhijun, he followed her into the Sacred Deer Academy.
At first, he didn’t even qualify to step foot into the academy. He might be decently talented, but he had missed their recruitment. He had also started cultivating at a much older age than the other disciples, resulting in a lower cultivation realm.
However, he was also quite lucky. He decided to challenge the Sacred Deer Academy’s ultimate trial. Those who managed to pass the trial would be accepted as the academy’s disciple, but it was the Sacred Deer Academy’s most difficult trial. In the academy’s long history, very few people had passed it.
When Liang Zhuangmin challenged the trial, he was ready to die upon failure. However, he stumbled upon a massive fortuitous encounter. Not only had he survived, but his strength had also increased rapidly. Eventually, he passed the trial and became the Sacred Deer Academy’s disciple.
Wu Zhijun could feel Liang Zhuangmin’s affection for her, and she indirectly accepted his feelings. However, she still required that he surpass her in strength before she would agree to officially become his partner.
Since Xia Liuhui and Liang Zhuangmin knew each other from their time at Cloud Margin Pavilion and they were both Xiang Shaoyun’s friends, they decided to link up. This time, they each brought their partner to the Devil Domain. After facing countless dangers, they finally reached the third layer’s entrance.
Comparatively, they had been rather lucky in their journey so far. They had not encountered overly strong devils. Min Rourou had even obtained the seed of a certain devilish plant. This seed was extremely rare, and once absorbed, a cultivator would obtain an impressive combat strength. It would also grant some unique abilities. For wood cultivators, this seed was extremely desirable.
Generally, one would hide the fact that one had obtained a treasure like this. However, Xia Liuhui had become overly excited when they had obtained the seed, and he had started speaking loudly. A passing cultivator overheard their conversation and targeted them.
They were all Dragon Ascension Realm cultivators. Even the strongest of them, Xia Liuhui, was only a peak Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator. They couldn’t defeat Soul Foundation Realm cultivators.
Fortunately, they encountered two Sacred Deer Academy overseers when their enemies were attacking. These overseers were here for the Devil Hunting Expedition. Fearing the two overseers, the attacker left.
But when the group came to the third layer’s entrance, they found that the attacker had joined up with some other people. With renewed numbers, the attacker’s courage rose, and he decided to attack once again.
The attacker’s name was Lin Fan, and he was a peak Soul Foundation Realm cultivator. With his cultivation, he was firmly among the stronger participants in the Devil Hunting Expedition.
He had joined up with seven other people who were all late-stage Soul Foundation Realm cultivators. One of them was a ninth-stage Soul Foundation Realm cultivator, giving him the confidence to attack Xia Liuhui’s group.
The two overseers were only late-stage Soul Foundation Realm cultivators. They could contend against the ninth-stage Soul Foundation Realm cultivator, but Lin Fan’s side had the numerical advantage. The two overseers also needed to protect Liang Zhuangmin’s group. Thus, the battle grew increasingly difficult for them.
“Hand over the seed obediently, and you’ll be spared. Or else, die,” said Lin Fan while battling one of the overseers.
“W-why don’t we hand over the seed? We’re dragging the overseers down,” asked Min Rourou weakly.
Xia Liuhui hesitated as he said, “This devilish plant seed is extremely rare. If we hand it over, you’ll be missing out on a massive opportunity.”
“But if we keep the seed, all of us will die here,” said Wu Zhijun.
“Those bastards. If I was already in the Soul Foundation Realm, I’d be able to defeat them with a single stomp,” said Liang Zhuangmin in an unreconciled manner.
At this time, with a wail, one of the surrounded overseers died. The four academies might have a resounding reputation, but every single participant in the Devil Hunting Expedition was someone with a background.
“Stop. I’ll hand over the seed,” said Min Rourou when she heard the wail.
She was afraid that the other overseer would also be killed. She would feel too guilty if that happened.
“It’s too late now. We might as well kill all of you,” said Lin Fan.
He had not expected that someone from his side would actually kill a Sacred Deer Academy overseer. That was not a grudge that could be easily resolved. At this point, he might as well kill them all so that nobody would know about this incident.
“The Sacred Deer Academy will not spare you!” warned the overseer fighting Lin Fan.
“Hmph. You’re the first person I’ll kill,” said Lin Fan coldly as he increased the intensity of his attack. He aimed to kill the overseer as quickly as possible. Xia Liuhui, Liang Zhuangmin, Wu Zhijun, and Min Rourou despaired. They couldn’t even escape if they wanted to.
“Kill the men and leave the women behind to have some fun with,” said Lin Fan coldly.
Just as Lin Fan’s group was about to move in for the kill, a cold voice rang out not far away, “If you so much as harm a hair on them, you’ll die miserably.”
